Mouthpiece for musical instruments.



C. E. GEORGE.

MOUTHPIECE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION HL ED DEC.1, 1913.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916..

To all whom it may concern UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES {GEORGE OF BOSTONQMASSACHUSETTSV noun Pinon ron vrnsronn INSTRUMENTS. I

Beiit known that I, CHARLES E. GEORGE, of Boston; in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts; have invented certain new and useful Improvements in V Mouthpieces forMusicalInstrumentspof which the following is aspecification. r

This invention relates to an improvement in mouth-pieces for cornets,-trumpets, and similar musical instruments. In many instances it is; necessary or desirable for musicianswho play cornets and trumpetsto change quite frequently from one to the other.= For -instance,; during an entertain-- mentor other occasion it is necessary to play a cornet for aportion of the time and then to play a trumpetythen again when playing in an orchestra in a theater one'quality of tone isidesired, while in -a caf theother tone is desired. For a player to change from one instrument to; the other frequently,-

or even from oneform of entertainment to the other, and render satisfactory music is very diflicult, with instruments having mouth-pieces. as ordinarily This is' dueto several causes. First, it is almost impossible 1t0 shape the rims of differentmouth-pieces identically the same in every respect, so that ,they willhave identically the same feeling tothe lips of the player. Second, the cup portion of the mouth-.piecefor ,a comet is somewhat deeper than that for a trumpet, and the pressure,

of the air in these cups is somewhat diaerent. This, taken in connection with the different feeling to the lips, renders it very trying for the player to change from one to the other frequently.

Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide a set of parts whereby the player may play a cornet or a trumpet with the same rim for the mouth-piece. That is, for one size of bore for the stem, a set will ordinarily comprise one rim, one cornet cup, one cornet stem, one trumpet cup, and one trumpet stem.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide several stems having various sizes of,

Specification of Letters Patent.

end of the" stem.

constructed.

. Patented, Apr. 11, 1916.

Application meanecember1, 1913. seriai No. 8031.916. v

2 is a plan viewlof the mouth-piece, Fig. 3

is acentral longitudinal. section through the trumpet mouth-piece, and Fig. 4 is a similar new of a cornet mouth-piece. v

mouth-piece comprises a tubular stem lO, a cup 11-, and a rim 12. The stem 10 is pro- As illustrated in Fig. 3, the trumpet vided at one end with a reduced externally V threaded neck 14, which is adapted to fit a corresponding internally threaded recess 16 in the lower end of the cup 11. The stem 10 is provided for a portion of its length with a cylindrical bore 1S,-which then merges into a tapering bore 19 flaring toward the'lower The diameter of the bore 18 corresponds to the diameter of the hole 20 in the bottom of thelcup, as shown in Fig. 3. If the stems having smaller bores are used, the upper end of the bore 18 is flared slightlyso that the sides of the hole 20-in the bottom of the cup merge into the bore 18,.whfereby a smooth surface free'from shoulders is'provided in the cup and stem.

The cup 11 is externally screw-threaded at its upper end to fit the corresponding internally threaded rim 12. a This rim maybe shaped as desired-to suit, the player. This having their upper endsscrew-thre'aded to fit the recess 16 in the bottom of the cup, and I having the upper ends of their bores shaped to mergeinto the opening 20 in the bottom of the cup. Frequently a player desires to have several stems, each with a difierent size of bore 18, in order to have a variety of effects, but the rim is always the same, and consequently the feeling to the lips is always the same, thus giving confidence to the player and obviating the necessity of considerable recurrent practice with each mouth-piece before again becoming accustomed to it, as is the case with mouth-pieces as ordinarily constructed.

As illustrated in Fig. 4 the cornet mouth-- piece comprises a stem 24, which is somewhat shorter than a trumpet stem, but otherwise its construction will be the same as the stem 10 described above. The stem 24 is provided at its upper end with an externally threaded neck 26, which is interchangeable with the neck 14 on the stem 10, and fits a corresponding internallythreaded recess 28 in the lower end of the cup 30. The cup 30 is similar to the cup 11, but is slightly deeper, and it is externally threaded at its upper end to fit the rim 12, it being understood that only one rim is provided for the two cups. The hole 32 in the bottom of the cup 30 is of the same size as the hole 20 in the bottom of the cup 11, and the cylindrical bore 34: corresponds to the bore 18 of the tube or stem 10. Thus with the construction above set forth it will be observed'that if a musician is desirous of playing a cornet after having played a trumpet, it is merely necessary to remove the rim 12 from the,

shank, the only effect being a slightly less 7 full and perfect cornet tone, since the trumpet cup when used on a cornet will render a tone having the quality of a trumpet slightly, but not sufliciently to be objectionable. It'is not so easy, however, to play a trumpet with a cornet mouth-piece and obtain as good results from the trumpet.

Although I have shown and described the invention as particularly adapted for use with a cornet and a trumpet, it is to be understood that it is not limited to such use, but may be applied to a baritone, trombone, and other socalled brass instruments. A single rim is adapted for use with several different cups, and these cups in turn can be fitted to several different tubes or stems having various qualities, thus giving a wide The feeling of the range for the player, it being understood that the stems detachably fit the leader pipe to their respective instruments. 7

What I claim is lQA mouth piece of the character desection including a tubular stem and a bellshaped head thereon, the outer end of said head being reduced and externally threaded, an intermediate section counterbored and threaded internally for engagement with the threaded portion of said head, said intermediate section being also reduced and externally threaded at its outer end, and an outer section counterbored and threaded internally at its inner end for engagement with the externally threaded portion of the intermediate section, the bores of said sections forming continuations of one another to provide a complete bore for said mouthpiece. I

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E; GEORGE. I Witnesses:

GRosvENoR CALKINs, WILLIAM J. SPERL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G. 

